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How to Say Thanks for Providing Win-Loss Feedback

DoubleCheck Team

10.08.17

When buyers are willing to be interviewed as part of win/loss reporting, it is important that the salesperson and company concerned thanks them for their time and effort. Such communication shows that their win/loss feedback has been heard and helps to achieve a positive relationship—one that might even evolve into future opportunities. There might also be situations when a deal lost surfaced complex issues that must be addressed with the buyer. In this article, we share guidance and examples of how to say thanks in all these situations—and more.

A Simple Way to Say Thanks

Saying thank you doesn’t need to be complex, especially if the buyer participated in a brief interview. It is often enough for the sales lead to send a “we heard you” note, expressing gratitude. Here is an example that is quick and to the point:

“…We know that you’re busy and we want to thank you for taking the time to provide feedback regarding your recent evaluation. Please know that the insight you offered will be shared with key stakeholders within our organization. We will use your feedback to improve both our processes and technology….”

A Specific Way to Say Thanks

On occasion, you may wish to include more detail. For instance, being specific about valued feedback proves that your company is listening and values the buyer’s input. Such a note might echo key takeaways from the interview, such as the following:

“…We know you’re busy and we want to thank you for taking the time to provide feedback regarding your recent evaluation. It was great to hear that you find our solution easy to use, and our sales team to be professional and responsive. We also found your comments regarding integration challenges and less-than-ideal pricing model to be quite interesting. Please know that your feedback has been shared with those responsible for each area. As we work on related improvement efforts, your comments will be leveraged to ensure that we’re heading in the right direction….”

A Way to Say Thanks That Smooths Things Over

If win/loss reports reveal that a deal has not gone as expected for the buyer, the thank-you note should be carefully personalized, and may require an executive-level touch. Senior involvement is especially important if the buyer received a less-than-favorable impression of a product or service. Think carefully about which senior members of staff can best address the buyer’s concerns:

A poor sales experience, for instance, may require a touch by the head of sales, who can offer to put things right.

Any product gap perceptions can be addressed by the head of product development, when needed.

Questionable and confusing marketing materials may be best dealt with in a note from the CMO.

An Invitation to Go Deeper

DoubleCheck touches on many different areas to collect the necessary information during win/loss phone interviews, but within a limited amount of time with the interviewee. That said, sometimes it is okay to return to the interviewee for more information on a topic, especially if a senior staff member can make the call. In fact, the benefits of this follow-up conversation may be two-fold: proving that the buyer’s feedback is being taken seriously, and potentially opening a discussion that may provide further opportunities for both parties.

In this case, the thank-you note might be extended like this:

“…Our head of product development really appreciated your feedback on the product. She had a few follow-up questions regarding the gaps you mentioned. Would you be open to a short follow-on discussion with her so that she can ask a few additional questions? As the owner of our product roadmap, she would really appreciate it!”

Saying thank you is one of the hallmarks of a strong customer relationship. But a thank-you note can also give rise to important opportunities. By gauging the right level of response and staff involvement, your note can transform a “thank you” into further possibilities for you and your company.

If you’d like to further discuss ways to improve your win-loss strategy, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@doublecheckresearch.com.